Profiterole Cake

First, I started with the sponge cake. The eggs are carefully separated, making sure no drop of yolk remains in the egg whites. The egg whites are beaten with a little salt, and then, gradually, sugar is added, continuing to mix until it completely dissolves and the mixture becomes firm and shiny. It is essential for the sugar to dissolve well, so the sponge cake is fluffy and even. After achieving this perfect foam, I add the yolks one by one, gently mixing with a spatula so as not to lose the air in the mixture. Then, the flour and cocoa are sifted together and added, mixing lightly with a whisk to obtain a homogeneous mixture.

The resulting mixture is poured into a special cake pan with a maximum diameter of 26 cm, in which I previously placed a baking paper. If desired, you can grease the paper in the pan with a little oil to facilitate the removal of the sponge cake. The pan is placed in the preheated oven, baking at a medium temperature until the sponge passes the toothpick test. When baked, it is removed from the pan and left to cool on a cooling rack.

Then, I move on to preparing the profiteroles. In a saucepan, I put the butter, water, and a pinch of salt. When the mixture comes to a boil, I add the flour and mix vigorously with a spatula until I obtain a homogeneous and compact mixture. This is left to cool slightly, and while warm, I mix in the two eggs until it becomes a fine paste. From the final mixture, I form 14 small puffs that I place on a tray. I prefer to bake them in two batches for even baking. Once baked, the puffs are left to cool.

While the profiteroles are cooling, I start preparing the pudding. In a saucepan, I put 300 ml of milk, and while it heats, I mix in a bowl the pudding with the sugar and the remaining milk. When the milk begins to boil, I add the pudding mixture, stirring constantly, allowing it to boil for 5 minutes. The boiled pudding is left to cool slightly, and when still warm, I fill the profiteroles with it, setting them aside to firm up a bit.

Now, I take care of the gelatin. The gelatin sheets are soaked in cold water, and separately, I whip the cream until it becomes a thick cream, which I mix with the mascarpone, continuing to mix gently. In another container, I place the eggs with the sugar over a double boiler. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, I add the gelatin sheets, stirring continuously until they dissolve. After the mixture has cooled slightly, I combine it with the mascarpone cream and whipped cream.

Now the assembly of the cake begins, which is the easiest part. The sponge cake is cut in half, and in the special cake pan, where I placed a food wrap, I put the first half of the sponge, followed by half of the cream, then the filled profiteroles, the remaining cream, and finally, the other half of the sponge. I cover the cake with food wrap and put it in the refrigerator to firm up well, leaving it until the next day.

The next day, I place the chocolate and butter over a double boiler, stirring until it becomes a liquid paste. This will be used to decorate the cake. After the cake is covered with chocolate, I let it cool for a few hours to firm up. I recommend serving the cake with a chilled dessert wine, which will highlight the delicious flavors of this dessert. Enjoy!